Honey-Brined and Smoked Turkey
I thought I had the ultimate turkey the year my family took it to the fryer, but I was mistaken. I have come to realize that true turkey nirvana is reached when the bird is brined and smoked, which creates an unbelievably juicy and savory piece of poultry.
I view turkey as a blank slate, and the combination of a brine--this year I'm opting for a sweet honey variation--and smoke combine to add tremendous flavor to the otherwise dull bird. I've found the trick to this method is striking the perfect balance between the two main flavors, and the best way to do this is by being careful not to over smoke the turkey; cooking it between 350 to 400°F and using only a couple chunks of a light smoke wood, like apple or cherry.
What comes out of the smoker is a beautiful mahogany piece of art--a result of smoke on the skin--that bursts with the flavors of the brine paired with the sweet kiss of smoke.
About the author: Joshua Bousel blogs about grilling on his blog, The Meatwave, and appears weekly here on Serious Eats during grilling season.
Honey-Brined Smoked Turkey
- serves 8-10 -
Adapted from Alton Brown
Ingredients
1 turkey, 12-14 lbs., washed
7 quarts very cold water
2 quarts of vegetable stock
1 pound honey
1 cup kosher salt
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
Vegetable Oil
Procedure
1. Place 1 quart of water, the honey and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until salt is completely dissolved and immediately remove from heat. Pour mixture into your brining container and add 6 quarts of cold water, vegetable stock, thyme, and peppercorns and stir to combine. Place the turkey in the brine, adding a weight to keep it completely submerged if necessary, place in the refrigerator and brine for 12 to 18 hours.
2. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to air-dry overnight in the refrigerator. (This step is optional, but will result in a crisper skin.)
3. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, fold the wings under the body and tie the legs together. Brush turkey lightly with with vegetable oil and allow to come to room temperature while you prepare the smoker.
4. Fire up your smoker between 350 to 400°F. Add 2 to 3 small chunks of light smoke wood, like apple or cherry. When the wood is burning and producing smoke, place the turkey in the smoker. Smoke until an instant read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, about 2 to 3 hours.
5. Remove the turkey from the smoker and allow to cool, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Carve and serve.
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21 Comments:
That is one beautiful bird!
Alaina Browne at 7:09PM on 11/21/08
I made this last year and now it is my go to bird. Totally awesome.
jennywren at 7:29PM on 11/21/08
Mmm... this reminded me of why I'm so happy to have married into a family with a smoker... and why I'm so sad that we're spending Thanksgiving with my family this year! (Who are great people, but are best at the Christmas ham, if you know what I mean).
peachypear at 7:38PM on 11/21/08
I'm always a big fan of brined turkeys, but I had smoked turkey and it was dry as hell. I think I might have to give it another shot
merrick84 at 7:48PM on 11/21/08
@merrick84: Definitely try it again. I haven't had a brined piece of poultry that hasn't come out juicy, even if it were a little over cooked.
Joshua Bousel at 12:14AM on 11/22/08
Sadly, I don't have a smoker. Could I use this brine recipe and just roast like a normal turkey?
sharsd at 2:19AM on 11/22/08
Sharsd, I don't see why you couldn't, I brine chickens,and dry them in the fridge as described here, for grilling,roasting, and broiling, they turn out exceptional every time, good luck!
jword2001 at 9:05AM on 11/22/08
i have a friend who smokes his. it is really unbelievable. i might break my recent no meat eating vow for a piece!
cybercita at 9:57AM on 11/22/08
@sharsd: This turkey would be excellent in and oven. Just brine it and cook it how you normally would.
For a crisp skin, I like to start my turkey in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue to cook until done, about hour or so for a 12lb bird.
Joshua Bousel at 9:59AM on 11/22/08
Woah. I don't like turkey, but this prep looks and sounds wonderful! I need to forward this to my husband! :)
Cassaendra at 2:25PM on 11/22/08
My dad has smoked the turkey in years when we don't have as many people to feed. (their smoker is small, mine is even smaller- they're the ceramic kind) It's so yummy.
cmtigger at 2:41PM on 11/22/08
sharsd do you have a grill? We jury rig a smoker out of a grill and foil pans. Although it was good on a roasted bird too. Better smoked; doesn't taste so much like turkey that way.
jennywren at 7:46PM on 11/22/08
@jennywren & sharsd: You can also do this on a grill, assuming a turkey can fit in your grill. For a charcoal grill, build a fire with the coals in two equal piles on either side of the charcoal grate and place a foil pan in between the two piles and fill it with about 1/2 an inch of water. Then throw some water soaked wood chips on each of the charcoal piles, place the turkey on the cooking grate over the foil pan and cook until done. With this method, you may need to replenish the coals about an hour through.
Joshua Bousel at 9:23PM on 11/22/08
I wish I had a smoker. This looks amazing. I have taken to brining my birds, a la Alton Brown, for the past 4 years and they've been great.
MikeSims at 4:47PM on 11/23/08
That does it! I am going to brine the bird and grill it. I mentioned to my wife that Alton Brown does not agree with stuffing birds. She took insult at first but then coyly said that if I wanted to grill the bird this year why didn't I just ask? I've got Weber's recipe from their holiday email blast and pleased to see this one. You guys have set a high standard to meet. Thanks!
abacobrad at 11:16AM on 11/24/08
I highly recommend this -- I have done brine and it is excellent - however, we fry the turkey. An easier and just as tasty brine is (6 quarts hot water, 1 1/2 cups kosher salt, 1 pound dark brown sugar, 5 pounds ice).
Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)
mrsfitz225 at 6:05PM on 11/24/08
Alton Brown had instructions on how to make your own homemade smoker on his F.N. site.. I am not sure if they are still there or not.
rlwycoff at 4:09PM on 11/26/08
Smoking meat is normally done at 225 - 325, does this recipe call for 400 degrees for the full cooking time? Can anyone help me out here? I have a pellet smoker and would love to give this a try.
ranger99 at 6:56PM on 12/01/08
@ranger99: You can cook this between 225-325 and it'll turn out fine. I cook it at a higher temperature to get a crisper skin and to make sure the bird doesn't become overly smokey, which ends up overpowering all other flavors in the turkey.
Joshua Bousel at 7:45PM on 12/01/08
I finally brined a turkey and it came out too salty, I followed a recipe which I seldom do, I'll have to work on the ratios of salt:water:sugar to our tastes aside from that the flavor was great I added a jalapeno and a serrano rough slice with seeds and one medium valencia orange juiced and sliced.
shipwreck at 12:52PM on 12/02/08
This is my first time trying the brined turkey and on the grill. I grill everything and Im hoping for a delious tast and flavor.
Dee Suggs at 9:47AM on 12/25/08